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Cities are made up of buildings and streets, but between and among human structures are thousands of trees that make up the urban forest. Urban forests offer more than a respite from city life: they mitigate the risk of climate change, improve psychological health, filter pollutants, and produce oxygen.

Earthwatch is collaborating with the arborist of the City of Cambridge, Chelsea Department of Public Works, the City of Somerville, and the City of Boston, to collect data to study and protect the thousands of trees that make up these city's critically important urban forests.

You'll be trained in techniques for identifying species, measuring and observing individual tree samples, and uploading data via mobile apps. During the course of the day you'll work in groups, exploring Cambridge, Chelsea, Somerville, or Boston’s urban forest and collecting data on the health, growth patterns, and impact on buildings and streets of individual trees.

You'll help build a growing database of information needed to understand how trees contribute to cities, how they might help to improve a city’s resiliency in the face of a changing environment, and what they need to survive and thrive.

Why the research is important

Why the research is important

The impact of urban forests on biodiversity and cities’ resiliency to climate change is significant—and it is increasing rapidly around the world.

Today, more than 80% of the U.S. population lives in urban areas, and this number continues to rise. As cities grow, urban green space declines, leading to negative impacts on environmental quality and human well-being.

Although urban trees offer great benefits, they can also cause problems. Roots undermine sidewalks, leaves create slippery hazards, and branches fall on power lines. Their impact on the public makes trees an integral and active part of urban planning for most, if not all, cities and municipalities. Little research has been conducted on urban forests compared with research on typical forests, making Earthwatch's Urban Resiliency Program an exciting and significant development.

As a volunteer, you’ll pioneer the work of Earthwatch's Urban Resiliency Program.

As a volunteer, you'll pioneer the work of Earthwatch's Urban Resiliency Program. In Cambridge, Chelsea, Somerville, or Boston, we will be comparing our findings with those of a study done five years ago or creating a base dataset to compare to future data collection. The objective of the project is to draw statistical comparisons over time that will allow city officials to relate changes in the urban forest (tree species and size) to changes in environmental conditions (road traffic density, height of surrounding buildings, and surface composition).

The information you collect will support improved management of urban trees and provide data to underscore the positive impact the urban forest has on the environment and local community.

About the research area

Boston, United States, North America & Arctic

Your expedition will take place in Cambridge, Chelsea, Somerville, or Boston, Massachusetts.

Boston, Cambridge, Chelsea, and Somerville have many highlights including the Freedom Trail, a 2.5-mile (4-kilometer) route that leads you to 16 historically significant sites, including the Old North Church. Exploring the North End of Boston is like visiting Italy: it's home to authentic trattorias, bakeries, and winding cobblestone streets. Boston also boasts major sports venues, top-notch theater and music, attractions such as Faneuil Hall and the outdoor Haymarket, and world-class art, science, and cultural museums.

Daily life in the field

Itinerary

AFTERNOON: After lunch, complete data collection, and debrief on results near the end of day.

You’ll begin your expedition in the morning at the rendezvous location listed in your expedition briefing. There, you’ll learn about the value of urban forests, the purpose of the research, overview of methods, and health and safety.

After an introduction to the research, you’ll break into groups to:

Walk to your trees. Each team will get assigned blocks and maps that note the location of the trees on those blocks; as the day progresses, you'll stroll between streets to check on each one.

Tree "work-ups." Once you reach a tree, you'll identify its species, measure its diameter, and take notes on its condition. You’ll also note the location of overhead wires and the impact of tree roots. You’ll enter all information into a mobile app, which will support the process of statistical analysis and report generation.

Your findings will help to answer major questions about the management of urban forests, such as: Which species are growing faster than others? Which species are dying faster (certain pests target particular species, so information on their prevalence can aid in forest management)? How is the forest growing or changing?

Watch our training videos before going out into the field to be extra prepared!

MEET THE OTHER SCIENTISTS

Accommodations and Food

Accommodations and Food

You’ll be provided with a healthy sandwich lunch and snacks while in the field. Exploring Boston’s Urban Forest is a one-day expedition, so no accommodation is provided.

If you’re a visitor to the Boston area, you have a wide range of options available to you, ranging from cozy bed-and-breakfast accommodations to world-class hotels, and from sandwich shops to world-class restaurants. Your group may opt to dine together following the expedition.

“Fun and informative”

I did the Cambridge expedition and we had a lot of fun. As a disclaimer: the Cambridge experience may have been different than others because the trees in Cambridge are already inventoried, meaning all we had to do was check their purported species and record their growth. Nevertheless, learning about urban trees and their care was interesting, and I started to catch on to some basic identification by the end of the trip. I will definitely appreciate the trees in my neighborhood more after doing this, and hopefully will sign up for a future expedition!

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Nancy Huntingford|Wednesday, October 15, 2014

“Recommended!”

It was neat to learn about urban forestry and the detailed planning that goes into maintaining the city trees. Lots of information was included, and the project was well-organized and smoothly executed. The hosts were friendly and helpful. I enjoyed exploring the city this way and learning to look carefully at the street trees!

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Carolyn Fuller|Tuesday, October 14, 2014

“Fabulous Treasure Hunt”

What fun this was. Despite the cold, rainy day, we had a lot of fun and would do it again in a heart beat. You have created stewards of us all.

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Jennifer Lauer|Tuesday, June 10, 2014

“Exploring Boston's Urban Forest”

It was a great way to spend a nice summer day: after the briefing, we broke up into teams of three and set off across Cambridge with maps looking for our designated trees. Measuring the trees was easy; finding the correct ones wasn't always, but we managed. We learned species identification, how to grade its condition, to look for power lines and sidewalk damage, and flowers and fruit. It was fun, and I spent more time looking at the trees of Cambridge than I ever had before, so that was worthwhile.

Hats, sunscreen, and good walking shoes are definitely required. Map skills are also a plus.